THEFT AT MOSQUE
Mohamed Al-Jammali, the imam at the Windsor Islamic Association, shows the broken safe Tuesday that was recovered by Windsor Police after the city mosque was broken into on Monday. A security video device was also stolen.
Leaders of Windsor’s largest Muslim organization are alarmed after a safe was stolen from their mosque in a bold break-and-enter on Monday morning.
“It’s unfortunate. Of all the places in Canada, Windsor is one place where the Muslim community feels safest,” said Mirza Baig, president of the Windsor Islamic Association.
“That’s the reason why you see so many Muslims living here.” The thief struck the association’s mosque at 1320 Northwood St. around 8:30 a.m.
Baig said a man entered the building and asked the janitor if he could use the washroom. “We have an open-door policy,” Baig said.
“We have our first prayers around 6:30 a.m. After that, the doors stay open.”
The janitor went upstairs to continue cleaning. When he returned to the ground floor, he saw that the door of the treasurer’s office had been forced open.
Baig said a small safe was missing from the office, as well as a security video console from an adjoining office.
“We have cameras all around the premises,” Baig said. “But he took the video. He took the console that had all the recordings, including (those of ) himself.”
The crime was reported to Windsor police. Later the same day, officers recovered the empty safe away from the property.
Baig said the Windsor Islamic Association is lucky that the safe contained no valuables at the time of the incident.
“Mostly, it was some old paperwork,” Baig said. However, Baig has been thinking about the similarities between this most recent break-in and an incident that occurred last month at An-Noor Private School — the Windsor Islamic Association’s elementary school at 1480 Janette Ave.
The school incident happened on Dec. 23, also during the day. The suspect — a white male in his 30s — was also seen by staff members.
“The way they described him, we feel that it was probably the same person,” Baig said.
A quantity of cash was taken from the school. Security cameras at the school recorded the suspect, but his hooded sweater concealed his identity.
Although there’s no obvious evidence linking the two crimes, Baig said the fact that break-in thefts have happened twice at Windsor Islamic Association properties within a few weeks is reason enough to feel concerned about being “targeted.”
“We don’t know. He could just be a lowly thug who was trying his luck. But that’s two of our institutions now,” Baig said.
Baig pointed out that Monday’s theft took place between morning and noon prayers, and whoever did it knew what to look for in the treasurer’s office.
Windsor police are continuing to investigate.
Baig asked that members and visitors of Windsor Mosque remain vigilant and watch out for suspicious persons.
“This doesn’t look like an isolated incident,” Baig said. “It has already happened twice. It could happen again.”
“It could happen at any religious organization.”